Starring Janet Leigh – Spectrum

Hyperactive technicality, schizophrenic speed, and a whole lot of extreme make up Canada’s STARRING JANET LEIGH and their latest album, Spectrum. You better chug a few Monster Energy Drinks before you listen to this one, because Spectrum is one hell of a thrill ride from start to finish. Seeing the current brutality coming out of Canada, STARRING JANET LEIGH fits in perfectly with the likes of Beneath The Massacre, Ion Dissonance, and Despised Icon, and they take a lot of influence from The Dillinger Escape Plan and Psyopus, but in the end they still find some times to do things their way. Spectrum has plenty of sudden time changes, screeching dissonance, complex structures, grinding brutality, and some jazz grooves to spice up the music. But on top of all of their out of control chaos, STARRING JANET LEIGH has it all calculated out.

Taking a look into Spectrum, “Ex You” begins like a sudden machine gun spraying its opponents with no remorse. And holy shit, their drummer Aaron Pozzer is half man, half machine. Guitarists Chris Sokoloski and Matt Zadkovich who we recently interviewed team up for some furious, blistering, and bone crushing guitar attacks that show a unique angle, and all of these guys really feed off one another well for the final product. The band sprints out as if on speed, and let that dissonance ring loud. Catching you off guard, a quick little jazzy break turns into a giant that’s stomping heads ferociously to the pavement. “Ex You” really does take a lot methods heard in The Dillinger Escape Plan’s attack, but when STARRING JANET LEIGH builds the song up to the 2 minute mark, all hell is let loose with some massive chugs counter attacked with dark melodies. Just like myself, STARRING JANET LEIGH isn’t the type to sit still for very long, and before you know it, the band is sprinting to the finish, giving its all!!

Another great song STARRING JANET LEIGH lets out the beast on is “Creation”, and holy shit do they strike with power. Grab another Monster Energy Drink if necessary, because “Creation” goes all over the place. The tempo is crazy, and how they remember some of these time signatures beats me. The progressive side really does show here, and when you think the dissonance couldn’t get any more chaotic and extreme, the band proves you wrong by layering on even more stingers.

Spectrum shows some promise for the recent Ironclad Recording signees. The CD musically is all over the place, and each respective musician in STARRING JANET LEIGH really lets their technicality shine! The band will keep you excited throughout the album, and surely give you a wake up call. Make sure you catch them on the road when they come near you, because they have this potential that just may add a few new rules for the tech-death followers in the future.